It looks like Apple won't be bragging just yet about the early sales of its iPad Air.

Apple, which has made it a routine to release first-weekend sales figures after the launches of new iPads and iPhones, this morning did not release a statement, which typically comes out at 5:30 a.m. PT the first Monday after a launch.

The lack of a press release could mean Apple is holding off until a later time, or that it is waiting for the launch of its iPad Mini with Retina Display , which is slated to hit stores later this month.

The iPad Air launches as Apple proves it's still at the top of its game when it comes to tablets. While the iPad Air doesn't represent a huge leap over its predecessor, the bump in specifications and redesigned body may have proved enough to convince buyers to jump aboard.

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said Friday that he expected Apple to sell between 2.5 million and 3.5 million tablets over the weekend.

Apple sold 3 million over the same period a year ago. Of course, the 2012 figures include sales and preorders for the iPad and iPad Mini. This year, preorders weren't available for the iPad Air, and the iPad Mini with Retina Display has yet to launch.

Also available were the older iPad Mini and iPad 2.

In addition, this year marked the company's widest iPad launch: 42 countries got their hands on an iPad on launch day, including China. Last year, only 27 countries were part of the launch event.

About the author

Roger Cheng is the executive editor in charge of breaking news for CNET News. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade. He's a devoted Trojan alum and Los Angeles Lakers fan.
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